How to Use Session Risk in Mobile Bot Defense Using AI
This Knowledge Base article describes how to use Appdome’s AI in your CI/CD pipeline to continuously deliver plugins that Validate Session Risk in Mobile apps.
What is Session Risk?
Session Risk is critical in mobile security, ensuring session integrity and preventing threats like session hijacking, replay attacks, and tampering. Attackers exploit session vulnerabilities to intercept and modify data, posing risks to user privacy and application security. Secure session management is essential for apps handling sensitive transactions, as it enforces trusted communication between the app and its backend. Implementing strong session risk aligns with regulatory requirements and provides an additional defense against automated bot attacks and fraudulent activities.
How Appdome Protects Mobile Apps with Session Risk?
Appdome’s dynamic Session Risk plugin within MobileBOT™ Defense secures session integrity by embedding tamper-proof headers into each request, enabling Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) to classify sessions as “Safe” or “At-Risk.”
Note: You must configure the Safe and At-Risk session keys in your WAF for the detection to work properly.
The plugin also integrates payload signing and encryption, ensuring that session data remains protected from interception and unauthorized modification.
In case of a MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) event detection, Appdome enhances session security by including additional metadata in the WAF logs. In addition to device metadata, the logs will also contain server certificate metadata, such as:
- certificateCN (Common Name)
- certificateIssuer
- certificateSHA1
Since a certificate chain may include multiple certificates, all certificates will be listed, such as certificateCN_1, certificateCN_2, and so on. The same applies to certificateSHA1 and certificateIssuer, ensuring comprehensive tracking of all certificates in the chain.
Prerequisites for Using Appdome's Session Risk Plugins:
To use Appdome’s mobile app security build system to Validate Session Risk , you’ll need:
- Appdome account (create a free Appdome account here)
- A license for Session Risk
- Mobile App (.ipa for iOS, or .apk or .aab for Android)
- Signing Credentials (see Signing Secure Android apps and Signing Secure iOS apps)
How to Implement Validate Session Risk in Mobile Apps Using Appdome
On Appdome, follow these 3 simple steps to create self-defending Mobile Apps that Validate Session Risk without an SDK or gateway:
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Designate the Mobile App to be protected.
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Upload an app via the Appdome Mobile Defense platform GUI or via Appdome’s DEV-API or CI/CD Plugins.
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Mobile App Formats: .ipa for iOS, or .apk or .aab for Android
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Session Risk is compatible with: Obj-C, Java, JS, C#, C++, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, React Native, Unity, Xamarin, and more.
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Select the defense: Session Risk.
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Follow the steps in Sections 2.2-2.2.2 of this article to add the Session Risk feature to your Fusion Set via the Appdome Console.
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When you select the Session Risk you'll notice that the Fusion Set you created in step 2.1 now bears the icon of the protection category that contains Session Risk.
Figure 2: Fusion Set that displays the newly added Session Risk protection
Note: Annotating the Fusion Set to identify the protection(s) selected is optional only (not mandatory). -
Open the Fusion Set Detail Summary by clicking the “...” symbol on the far-right corner of the Fusion Set. Copy the Fusion Set ID from the Fusion Set Detail Summary (as shown below):
Figure 3: Fusion Set Detail Summary
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Follow the instructions below to use the Fusion Set ID inside any standard mobile DevOps or CI/CD toolkit like Bitrise, Jenkins, Travis, Team City, Circle CI or other system:
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Refer to the Appdome API Reference Guide for API building instructions.
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Look for sample APIs in Appdome’s GitHub Repository.
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Create and name the Fusion Set (security template) that will contain the Session Risk feature as shown below:
Figure 1: Fusion Set that will contain the Session Risk feature
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Add the Session Risk feature to your security template.
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Navigate to Build > Anti Bot tab > MobileBOT™ Defense section in the Appdome Console.
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Toggle On > Session Risk.
Figure 4: Selecting Validate Session Risk
- Extra Configuration with Session Risk:
- On-Device Bot Detection
Scroll down to the "Mobile Device & Connection Risk" accordion. Then click "Add" next to "Add On-Device Bot Detection", and tick the relevant checkboxes. On-Device Bot Detection enables mobile developers to configure which on-device threats—such as Root, Magisk, Emulators, Jailbreak, Fake Location, and more—will contribute to session risk classification in the app. For each detection, developers define a DEVICETrust™ level: Zero-Trust, which delays connection until checks are complete, or Runtime-Trust, which allows assessment during connection. For example, when adding Detect Fake Location as a detection, the session will be classified as compromised based on location spoofing. This configuration feeds into Mobile Device & Connection Risk, which tags each session as Safe or At-Risk and enables WAFs and backend systems to validate session authenticity in real time. That visibility allows organizations to stop tampered requests, prevent data leakage, and block automated bot traffic at the network edge. This layered session integrity model is vital for securing sensitive mobile workflows—such as login, payments, and digital identity flows—and aligns with regulatory mandates like PSD2 and FFIEC.
- Threat-Event™ Meta-Data
Scroll down to the "Mobile Device & Connection Risk" accordion. Then toggle on "Threat Event Meta Data". This is an optional configuration in Mobile Device & Connection Risk that enriches mobile bot detection payloads with additional environmental context, including operating system, device model, manufacturer, and SSL certificate metadata. These metadata fields are used by WAFs to assess whether the mobile session originates from a legitimate safe or at risk endpoint. For example, a mismatch between the expected OS and actual manufacturer may indicate spoofing, emulation, or device tampering. Including Threat-Event™ Meta-Data enhances precision in bot detection by providing critical details needed to analyze and respond to suspicious sessions. This is especially useful in regulated industries like fintech or healthcare, where understanding device provenance and environment is key to securing app workflows, detecting anomalies, and enforcing zero-trust access controls.
- Get ThreatScore™ Data
Scroll down to the "Mobile Device & Connection Risk" accordion. Then toggle on "Get ThreatScore Data". ThreatScore™ is an optional configuration in Mobile Device & Connection Risk that adds a numeric risk score to each user and device session, helping backend systems quantify and respond to bot and automation threats. This score reflects the cumulative risk based on detected mobile threats—such as root, Magisk, emulators, or fake location—and provides a simplified value to inform automated policy decisions.

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Congratulations! The Session Risk protection is now added to the mobile app -
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Certify the Session Risk feature in Mobile Apps
After building Session Risk, Appdome generates a Certified Secure™ certificate to guarantee that the Session Risk protection has been added and is protecting the app. To verify that the Session Risk protection has been added to the mobile app, locate the protection in the Certified Secure™ certificate as shown below:
Figure 5: Certified Secure™ certificate
Each Certified Secure™ certificate provides DevOps and DevSecOps organizations the entire workflow summary, audit trail of each build, and proof of protection that Session Risk has been added to each Mobile app. Certified Secure provides instant and in-line DevSecOps compliance certification that Session Risk and other mobile app security features are in each build of the mobile app.
Using Threat-Events™ for Session Risk Intelligence and Control in Mobile Apps
Appdome Threat-Events™ provides consumable in-app mobile app attack intelligence and defense control when Session Risk is detected. To consume and use Threat-Events™ for Session Risk in Mobile Apps, use AddObserverForName in Notification Center, and the code samples for Threat-Events™ for Session Risk shown below.
The specifications and options for Threat-Events™ for Session Risk are:
| Threat-Event™ Elements | Validate Session Risk Method Detail |
|---|---|
| Appdome Feature Name | Session Risk |
| Threat-Event Mode | |
| OFF, IN-APP DEFENSE | Appdome detects, defends and notifies user (standard OS dialog) using customizable messaging. |
| ON, IN-APP DETECTION | Appdome detects the attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (app chooses how and when to enforce). |
| ON, IN-APP DEFENSE | Uses Appdome Enforce mode for any attack or threat and passes the event in a standard format to the app for processing (gather intel on attacks and threats without losing any protection). |
| Certified Secure™ Threat Event Check | x |
| Visible in ThreatScope™ | x |
| Developer Parameters for Validating Session Risk Threat-Event™ | |
| Threat-Event NAME | |
| Threat-Event DATA | reasonData |
| Threat-Event CODE | reasonCode |
| Threat-Event SCORE | |
| currentThreatEventScore | Current Threat-Event score |
| threatEventsScore | Total Threat-events score |
| Threat-Event Context Keys | |
|---|---|
| Timestamp | The exact time the threat event was triggered, recorded in milliseconds since epoch |
| message | Message displayed for the user on event |
| externalID | The external ID of the event which can be listened via Threat Events |
| osVersion | OS version of the current device |
| deviceModel | Current device model |
| deviceManufacturer | The manufacturer of the current device |
| fusedAppToken | The task ID of the Appdome fusion of the currently running app |
| kernelInfo | Info about the kernel: system name, node name, release, version and machine. |
| carrierPlmn | PLMN of the device. Only available for Android devices. |
| deviceID | Current device ID |
| reasonCode | Reason code of the occurred event |
| deviceBrand | Brand of the device |
| deviceBoard | Board of the device |
| buildUser | Build user |
| buildHost | Build host |
| sdkVersion | Sdk version |
| threatCode | The last six characters of the threat code specify the OS, allowing the Threat Resolution Center to address the attack on the affected device. |
With Threat-Events™ enabled (turned ON), Mobile developers can get detailed attack intelligence and granular defense control in Mobile applications and create amazing user experiences for all mobile end users when Session Risk is detected.
The following is a code sample for native Mobile apps, which uses all values in the specification above for Session Risk:
Important! Replace all placeholder instances of <Context Key> with the specific name of your threat event context key across all language examples. This is crucial to ensure your code functions correctly with the intended event data. For example, The <Context Key> could be the message, externalID, OS Version, reason code, etc.
xxxxxxxxxxIntentFilter intentFilter = new IntentFilter();intentFilter.addAction("");BroadcastReceiver threatEventReceiver = new BroadcastReceiver() { public void onReceive(Context context, Intent intent) { String message = intent.getStringExtra("message"); // Message shown to the user String reasonData = intent.getStringExtra("reasonData"); // Threat detection cause String reasonCode = intent.getStringExtra("reasonCode"); // Event reason code // Current threat event score String currentThreatEventScore = intent.getStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore"); // Total threat events score String threatEventsScore = intent.getStringExtra("threatEventsScore"); // Replace '<Context Key>' with your specific event context key // String variable = intent.getStringExtra("<Context Key>"); // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...) }};if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.TIRAMISU) { registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter, Context.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED);} else { registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter);}xxxxxxxxxxval intentFilter = IntentFilter()intentFilter.addAction("")val threatEventReceiver = object : BroadcastReceiver() { override fun onReceive(context: Context?, intent: Intent?) { var message = intent?.getStringExtra("message") // Message shown to the user var reasonData = intent?.getStringExtra("reasonData") // Threat detection cause var reasonCode = intent?.getStringExtra("reasonCode") // Event reason code // Current threat event score var currentThreatEventScore = intent?.getStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore") // Total threat events score var threatEventsScore = intent?.getStringExtra("threatEventsScore") // Replace '<Context Key>' with your specific event context key // var variable = intent?.getStringExtra("<Context Key>") // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...) }}if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.TIRAMISU) { registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter, Context.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED)} else { registerReceiver(threatEventReceiver, intentFilter)}x
let center = NotificationCenter.defaultcenter.addObserver(forName: Notification.Name(""), object: nil, queue: nil) { (note) in guard let usrInf = note.userInfo else { return } let message = usrInf["message"]; // Message shown to the user let reasonData = usrInf["reasonData"]; // Threat detection cause let reasonCode = usrInf["reasonCode"]; // Event reason code // Current threat event score let currentThreatEventScore = usrInf["currentThreatEventScore"]; // Total threat events score let threatEventsScore = usrInf["threatEventsScore"]; // Replace '<Context Key>' with your specific event context key // let variable = usrInf["<Context Key>"]; // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)}xxxxxxxxxx[[NSNotificationCenter defaultCenter] addObserverForName: @"" object:nil queue:nil usingBlock:^(NSNotification *org_note) { __block NSNotification *note = org_note; dispatch_async(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^(void) { // Message shown to the user NSString *message = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"message"]; // Threat detection cause NSString *reasonData = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"reasonData"]; // Event reason code NSString *reasonCode = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"reasonCode"]; // Current threat event score NSString *currentThreatEventScore = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"currentThreatEventScore"]; // Total threat events score NSString *threatEventsScore = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"threatEventsScore"]; // Replace '<Context Key>' with your specific event context key // NSString *variable = [[note userInfo] objectForKey:@"<Context Key>"]; // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...) });}];xxxxxxxxxxconst { ADDevEvents } = NativeModules;const aDDevEvents = new NativeEventEmitter(ADDevEvents);function registerToDevEvent(action, callback) { NativeModules.ADDevEvents.registerForDevEvent(action); aDDevEvents.addListener(action, callback);}export function registerToAllEvents() { registerToDevEvent( "", (userinfo) => Alert.alert(JSON.stringify(userinfo)) var message = userinfo["message"] // Message shown to the user var reasonData = userinfo["reasonData"] // Threat detection cause var reasonCode = userinfo["reasonCode"] // Event reason code // Current threat event score var currentThreatEventScore = userinfo["currentThreatEventScore"] // Total threat events score var threatEventsScore = userinfo["threatEventsScore"] // Replace '<Context Key>' with your specific event context key // var variable = userinfo["<Context Key>"] // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...) );}x
RegisterReceiver(new ThreatEventReceiver(), new IntentFilter("")); class ThreatEventReceiver : BroadcastReceiver{ public override void OnReceive(Context context, Intent intent) { // Message shown to the user String message = intent.GetStringExtra("message"); // Threat detection cause String reasonData = intent.GetStringExtra("reasonData"); // Event reason code String reasonCode = intent.GetStringExtra("reasonCode"); // Current threat event score String currentThreatEventScore = intent.GetStringExtra("currentThreatEventScore"); // Total threat events score String threatEventsScore = intent.GetStringExtra("threatEventsScore"); // Replace '<Context Key>' with your specific event context key // String variable = intent.GetStringExtra("<Context Key>"); // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...) }}x
NSNotificationCenter.DefaultCenter.AddObserver( (NSString)"", // Threat-Event Identifier delegate (NSNotification notification) { // Message shown to the user var message = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("message"); // Threat detection cause var reasonData = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("reasonData"); // Event reason code var reasonCode = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("reasonCode"); // Current threat event score var currentThreatEventScore = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("currentThreatEventScore"); // Total threat events score var threatEventsScore = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("threatEventsScore"); // Replace '<Context Key>' with your specific event context key // var variable = notification.UserInfo.ObjectForKey("<Context Keys>"); // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...) });xxxxxxxxxxwindow.broadcaster.addEventListener("", function(userInfo) { var message = userInfo.message // Message shown to the user var reasonData = userInfo.reasonData // Threat detection cause var reasonCode = userInfo.reasonCode // Event reason code // Current threat event score var currentThreatEventScore = userInfo.currentThreatEventScore // Total threat events score var threatEventsScore = userInfo.threatEventsScore // Replace '<Context Key>' with your specific event context key // var variable = userInfo.<Context Keys> // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)});x
import 'dart:async';import 'package:flutter/material.dart';import 'package:flutter/services.dart';class PlatformChannel extends StatefulWidget { const PlatformChannel({super.key}); State<PlatformChannel> createState() => _PlatformChannelState();}class _PlatformChannelState extends State<PlatformChannel> { // Replace with your EventChannel name static const String _eventChannelName = ""; static const EventChannel _eventChannel = EventChannel(_eventChannelName); void initState() { super.initState(); _eventChannel.receiveBroadcastStream().listen(_onEvent, onError: _onError); } void _onEvent(Object? event) { setState(() { // Adapt this section based on your specific event data structure var eventData = event as Map; // Example: Accessing 'externalID' field from the event var externalID = eventData['externalID']; // Customize the rest of the fields based on your event structure String message = eventData['message']; // Message shown to the user String reasonData = eventData['reasonData']; // Threat detection cause String reasonCode = eventData['reasonCode']; // Event reason code // Current threat event score String currentThreatEventScore = eventData['currentThreatEventScore']; // Total threat events score String threatEventsScore = eventData['threatEventsScore']; // Replace '<Context Key>' with your specific event context key // String variable = eventData['<Context Keys>']; }); } // Your logic goes here (Send data to Splunk/Dynatrace/Show Popup...)}Using Appdome, there are no development or coding prerequisites to build secured Mobile Apps by using Session Risk. There is no SDK and no library to code or implement in the app and no gateway to deploy in your network. All protections are built into each app and the resulting app is self-defending and self-protecting.
Releasing and Publishing Mobile Apps with Session Risk
After successfully securing your app by using Appdome, there are several available options to complete your project, depending on your app lifecycle or workflow. These include:
- Customizing, Configuring & Branding Secure Mobile Apps.
- Deploying/Publishing Secure mobile apps to Public or Private app stores.
- Releasing Secured Android & iOS Apps built on Appdome.
Related Articles:
- How to Use Appdome MobileBOT™ Defense
- How to Use Payload Timestamps In Mobile Bot Defense
- How to Validate a Nonce Payload with Appdome’s MobileBOT™ Defense
How Do I Learn More?
If you have any questions, please send them our way at support.appdome.com or via the chat window on the Appdome platform.
Thank you!
Thanks for visiting Appdome! Our mission is to secure every app on the planet by making mobile app security easy. We hope we’re living up to the mission with your project.